Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge had "such good fun" making fruit kebabs and drinking pretend cups of tea during a visit in London on Tuesday (08.02.22).
The 40-year-old royal - who has children Princes George and Louis, eight and three, and Princess Charlotte, six, with husband Prince William - spent time with mothers and toddlers at PACT (Parents and Communities Together) and admitted she would have loved to have the opportunity to attend a similar group when she was pregnant with her first child because she would have "learned a lot".
Catherine was told about PACT's 'Parent University' courses for expectant parents and those with newborns, which teaches them about emotional development and the basics of giving birth and caring for a baby.
Speaking to health visitor Simonette Guerra and PACT leader Josephine Namusisi-Riley, she said: “As a new mum I would have liked that. I think I would have learned a lot.
“The importance of play!
“What’s so fantastic is seeing the amazing work that’s going on here. That support you’re providing is amazing. The science backs it up.”
One of the assembled mothers, Laura Barber, said afterwards: “She said if she had had something like this, she would have appreciated it too."
The duchess - who has a special interest in Early Years Development - spoke to parents about their toddlers being "naughty", despite behaving in developmentally-appropriate ways and agreed: “Behaviour is communication.
“Throwing things is all about learning.”
PACT was set up in 2014 and during the pandemic, it offered a regular Zoom meeting for parents to socialise, as well as helping isolated families with things such as laptops or food parcels and training on how to order prescriptions online, with Josephine telling Catherine about the difficulties some faced with "digital exclusion".
Catherine said: “Has the conversation changed since the pandemic? It’s exacerbated everything.”
Acknowledging problems often "fall between the cracks" being “not necessarily health [but] pre education system”, the duchess added: “It’s fantastic that there is a space like this, linking services to each other.
“Feeling connected to each other as humans and being able to listen to each other helps with the isolation.
“Where families go to find a holistic support system.
“So much we say is mental health is having someone to talk to and listen.
“For the child’s journey, being able to link up health with then education, through the community programmes and services like this, is really vital.”
Catherine was a surprise visitor to the group, which was held at St Michael's Church in Camberwell, and she helped toddlers cut fruit to make kebabs in a healthy eating lesson.
Going to shake the hand of a mother she laughed: “Sorry, now I’ve got a sticky hand."
The duchess watched children using play equipment and accepted a "cup of tea", filled with kinetic sand, from a little boy named George and removed her mask to pretend to take a sip before handing it back to the youngster.
Before she left the facility, Catherine told the volunteers: "Thank you for your hard work, it’s really impressive. It’s such good fun, I want to go back in there!”
